The Takeaway: Would Hamas complicate US plans for reset with Palestinians? Also: the back story on the spat between Israel and Jordan; Gulf post-COVID economic trends; Turkey’s Kurds; Egypt and Somalia; and more! Originals
Egypt sentences activist Sanaa Seif to 18 months in prison Seif, who had been in pretrial detention since June, was convicted Wednesday of spreading false news and misusing social media. Egypt
Ukraine rejects Iran's final report on downed passenger plane The Iranian government said last year's shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was the result of a human error. Iran
Palestinians receive first batch of vaccines through COVAX More than 60,000 doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines arrived in Ramallah on Wednesday. Palestine
Three faiths, three commanders The Popular Mobilization Units, initially identified as a Shiite militia, is changing the course of the battles in Iraq with participation of Sunnis and Christians. Iraq
Does draft Palestinian social security law really protect workers? The draft social security law has been widely criticized for failing to provide workers sufficient retirement pensions or protection in cases of work-related disability. Palestine
Why are Iranian investors shrugging at nuclear deal? Despite the signing of the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, the Tehran Stock Exchange is still far below its levels before negotiations began under President Hassan Rouhani's rule. Iran
The truth about Gilad Shalit's five years in captivity A video released by Hamas appears to show that abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was kept in humane conditions, yet questions remain about the motive behind the decision to release the clip. Palestine
Why the Israeli right wants to ban books, persecute NGOs Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked says funding by European states to NGOs advances foreign interests; yet millions of euros have also been transferred from the EU to Israeli government agencies. Israel
How will Saudi-Iranian crisis affect the region? As relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran reach their worst levels yet following the Saudi execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, the United States, Russia and the European Union are exerting all possible efforts to avoid a spillover to other countries where these parties wield influence. Saudi Arabia
Women journalists raise their voices in Gaza There is a dearth of women-focused media outlets in Gaza, where some female journalists are organizing their own platforms to promote women's issues and increase their presence in the sector. Palestine
Why Palestinian housewives are taking lead in boycott campaigns Palestinian women have recently been joining the global BDS movement by launching their own local campaigns to encourage people to refrain from buying Israeli goods. Palestine
Protesters lock horns with government over crusader battlefield History lovers and environmental activists are battling state plans to build a Druze settlement at the ancient battlefield Horns of Hattin, where crusaders confronted Saladin's army in 1187. Israel
The Ramadi illusion The Iraqi military's long overdue capture of Ramadi is still uncertain and will hardly be enough to defeat the Islamic State. Iraq
US scrambles to curb damage from Saudi-Iranian fallout American diplomats try to salvage Syria peace efforts and avert the further deterioration of Iranian-Saudi relations after Saudi Arabia abruptly severed diplomatic relations with Iran on Jan. 3. Saudi Arabia
Candidates for president flesh out their anti-IS war plans Republican contenders agree on only one thing: Obama’s strategy isn’t working. Saudi Arabia
